the formal study of human behavior has been around for less than 200 years. In this relatively brief time, the purviews of psychology and sociology have become quite vast. There are dozens of "fields" popularly believed to be related to these sciences, but which are not (e.g., dowsing, mind reading, astrology, biorhythms, spoon bending, channeling, subliminal self-help, psychic surgery, etc.). Such pseudoscientific topics are often lumped together with, or outright labeled as belonging to the fields of psychology and sociology to the disservice of both true fields. This course will equip students with the means to distinguish nonscientific (pseudoscientific) from scientific claims as well as improve their critical thinking skills when it comes to evaluating claims regardless of source.
3 Credits